Surgical knife



MalCh 20, R CASTROV|EJO SURGICAL KNIFE Filed Feb. 26, 1932 Patented Mar.20, 1934 UNITED STATES SURGICAL KNIFE Ramon Castroviejo, Chicago, Ill.,assigner to V. Mueller & Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisApplication February 26, 1932, Serial No. 595,317

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-9) This invention relates to surgical instruments andmore particularly to knives and to means for securing the blade in thehandle.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved surgicalknife adapted for ready interchange of blades; to provide a quick actingpositive clamp for the blade to provide for the ready disassemblage ofall parts for cleaning and sterilization; and to provide a simplifiedknife such as described of light, strong and inexpensive material.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a surgical knife embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is mainly a longitudinal sectional View of the knife and includesa side elevation of the blade-clamping means with the blade in lockedposition, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the clamping means or chuck shown partly insection.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the slotted end of the chuck.

Fig. '7 is a side view of the knife with the thumb screw turnedoutwardly to release the blade and with the chuck still in operativeposition; and the dotted outline shows the position of the chuck afterthe thumb screw has been thrust inwardly and the flanged portion of thechuck thereby projected outwardly.

In surgical work it has been necessary and customary heretofore to havethe complete surgical knife sent out for sharpening after it has been inuse and has become dull. My invention obviates this necessity byproviding a surgical knife in which the blade is readily removed and anew one inserted.

The present device comprises a hollow handle having therein alongitudinally slidable blade clamping member or chuck, one end of whichis 45, iiared in the plane of the blade and is longitudinally slotted,both across the plane to provide resilient jaws and in said plane toprovide receiving grooves for the shank of the blade. The opposite endof the chuck is drilled and tapped '50i to receive a thumb screw as willbe more fully described.

The flared portion of the chuck will wedgingly engage against theinterior of the handle when the screw is tightened, thereby forciblyoccluding the jaws of the chuck and causing them to grip the shank ofthe blade edgewise and hold `the latter in locked position.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the surgical knife comprises ahollow metallic handle 1 preferably made of nickel or aluminum, a chuck2 preferably made of rustless steel, and a blade 3.

The chuck 2 is provided with two jaws 4 separated by a slot 5, and eachjaw is provided with a slot or groove 6 to receive an edge of the blade65 shank 3'. The opposite end of the chuck is drilled and tapped as at 7to receive the thumb screw 8. The head 9 of the thumb screw is of largerdiameter than the handle 1 so as to seat thereon when the chuck is setby tightening the screw.

To remove the blade the screw 8 is turned outwardly as shown in the fulllines in Fig. 7. The screw is then thrust inwardly toward the handle,thereby forcing the chuck forwardly and into the 75 position shown indotted outline in Fig. 7. This forward movement of the chuck releasesthe jaws and permits them to spring open to their normal position, asshown in Fig. 5, thereby releasing the blade which may now be freelyremoved. The various parts of the knife may then be disassembled andsterilized.

To reassemble the knife, the chuck is inserted into the handle at theforward end of the latter and the thumb screw is started in the threadedportion of the chuck. A new or sharpened blade is then inserted in thejaws of the chuck and the thumb screw is then tightened. The tighteningmovement tends to draw the chuck wedgingly into the handle, causing thejaws to set tightly on the blade when they contact with the innerportion of the handle.

The head of the screw being of larger diameter than the handle, abutsagainst the latter, as shown in Fig. 2. The knife is now ready for use.

It will be apparent from the above that new or sharpened blades mayeasily and instantly be inserted to replace the old ones at a momentsnotice; and this sometimes becomes necessary in surgical work. Ifdesired the chuck may be released abruptly by a blow on the screw head9, whenever the latter has been backed away from' the end of the handle1.

It is to be understood that some of the details set forth may be alteredor omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as definedby the following claims.

I claim:

1. A surgical knife comprising a handle, a longitudinally movablewedging chuck in said hanilo dle, a clamp having resilient jaws on oneend of said chuck, a removable blade positioned in said clamp andgripped edgewise by said jaws, the opposite end of said chuck beinginternally threaded, and a thumb screw engaging the threaded end of saidchuck for operating said clamp, said screw having a head larger thansaid handle for abutting against the end Vof said handle when said screwis tightened.

2. A surgical instrument comprising a longitudinally apertured handleand an oblong chuck mounted for longitudinal movement in said handle,said chuck being longitudinally slotted at one end to provide a pair ofjaws and said jaws being interiorly grooved lengthwise to receive theshank edges of a removable blade, said chuck also having manuallyoperative handlerengaging means for urging it lengthwise in said handle,and said chuck being outwardly ared at the jaw end fpr occlusive wedgingof the jaws in said handle by operation of said means.

Y isglrrongitudinally bored and threaded therefor, said chuck beinglongitudinally slotted at the blade receiving end to provide jaws whichare grooved to receive the edges of the blade shank, said jaws beingV,endwarlly flared externally to induce occlusive settingV thereof onthe blade when the chuck is retracted by said screw.

RAMON CASTROVIEJO.

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